The Motorsport Brief wraps up an intense F1 season with Lando Norris crowned world champion after a dramatic title decider in Abu Dhabi. Hosts Rusty and Matt Hickey discuss the implications of Norris's victory for McLaren and the controversies surrounding teammate Oscar Piastri. The episode dives into the dynamics of team orders, the performance of key drivers like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and the challenges ahead with upcoming regulation changes. The conversation also touches on the broader impact of social media on motorsport culture.
With Lando Norris celebrating his first driver’s championship we debrief the final round of a very memorable season.
Rusty is joined by Matt Hickey from Codesports for their best post race convo yet!
Why Papaya Rules need a tune up if McLaren persists with them & the champion qualities Oscar Piastri showed despite missing out on F1’s biggest prize.
A couple of standouts of the season beyond the big four teams and a year Alpine would probably prefer to forget.
Plus Senator Matt Canavan misses Zak Brown’s Christmas list and the countdown to the start of the 2026 season. How many sleeps to go?
Head to Rusty's Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and give us your feedback and let us know who you want to hear from on Rusty's Garage
"Lando Norris is the new Formula One world champion completing an unbelievable story, an incredible turnaround in recent years for McLaren."
Formula One is a top-level car racing series where teams compete in races called Grands Prix. It's known for fast cars and exciting races held on tracks worldwide.
"...an incredible turnaround in recent years for McLaren. It's their first drivers world title"
McLaren is a famous car company from the UK that makes fast sports cars and has a successful racing team in Formula One. They are known for their innovative designs and technology.
McLaren is a British automotive manufacturer known for its high-performance sports cars and Formula One racing team. Founded in 1963, McLaren has a rich history in motorsport and has produced some of the most iconic supercars.
"...iestri treated fairly? And how come an Australian senator ended up discussing things in relation to this ch..."
The Opel Senator is a type of car that was made in Germany and is known for being comfortable and spacious. It was popular among people who wanted a nice car to drive for work or family trips, and it represents a time when cars were built with a focus on luxury.
The Opel Senator is a mid-size luxury car produced by the German automaker Opel from 1987 to 1993. It was known for its comfortable ride, spacious interior, and strong performance, making it a popular choice among executives and families alike during its production years. The Senator is often discussed for its significance in the European automotive market and its role in Opel's lineup during the late 20th century.
"...We've seen it with Max Verstappen, but now Lando Norris kind of joins that nine years with McLaren, very impressive."
Max Verstappen is a famous race car driver in Formula 1. He has won several championships and is known for being very skilled and competitive.
Max Verstappen is a Dutch Formula 1 driver known for his exceptional talent and competitive spirit. He has achieved significant success in the sport, including winning multiple championships.
"...but now Lando Norris kind of joins that nine years with McLaren, very impressive."
Lando Norris is another well-known Formula 1 driver who races for the McLaren team. He is popular among fans for his skills on the track.
Lando Norris is a British Formula 1 driver racing for McLaren. He is recognized for his talent and has garnered a strong following in the motorsport community.
"...r two. We know his connection with the Australian cricket team. It will sting for him,"
The Plymouth Cricket is a small car that was made in the early 1970s and was meant to be affordable and easy to drive. It was part of a trend where car companies were making smaller cars for people who wanted something practical and economical.
The Plymouth Cricket was a compact car produced by Chrysler Corporation from 1971 to 1973, based on the Hillman Avenger. It was designed to compete in the growing compact car market of the time, offering affordability and practicality. The Cricket is often mentioned for its unique place in automotive history and its connection to the Plymouth brand's efforts to appeal to younger buyers.
"...you never want luck to play a factor in you winning a championship. You want to dominate that thing from start to finish."
A championship is a competition where drivers race against each other to earn points. The one with the most points at the end wins the title.
In motorsport, a championship refers to a series of races where drivers and teams compete for points to win the title. The team or driver with the most points at the end of the season is declared the champion.
"...when as you put, you don't really have a number one driver. So next season, Red Bull will head in..."
A number one driver is the main driver for a racing team. This driver usually gets the best support and resources to win races.
The term 'number one driver' refers to the primary driver on a racing team, typically the one who is expected to lead the team and achieve the best results. This designation can influence team strategy and resource allocation.
"...next season, Red Bull will head in and Max Verstappen remains clearly the number one driver."
Red Bull is a famous racing team in Formula 1. They have won many championships and are known for having fast cars and skilled drivers.
Red Bull Racing is a Formula 1 team known for its competitive performance and multiple championship wins. They have been particularly dominant in recent seasons, largely due to their strong driver lineup and engineering capabilities.
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Liberty Mutual is a company that sells insurance, including car insurance. They help people find the best coverage for their needs and often help them save money.
Liberty Mutual is a global insurance company that offers a variety of insurance products, including car insurance. They provide customizable options to help customers save money on their premiums.
"...ance of Oscar proving himself next year. Let's go rapid fire to the finish of this podcast. What did you ..."
The Skoda Rapid is a compact car that is designed to be practical and affordable. It offers a lot of space inside for passengers and luggage, making it a good choice for families or anyone who needs a reliable car without spending too much money.
The Skoda Rapid is a compact car produced by the Czech automaker Skoda Auto, first introduced in 2012. It is known for its practicality, spacious interior, and value for money, making it a popular choice in various markets, particularly in Europe and India. The Rapid is often discussed for its blend of affordability and functionality, appealing to budget-conscious consumers.
"Tell me about the, let's call it a hard charger. Motorsport often has little awards that it gives out along those lines, perhaps for someone who's not a champion, but starred at different points during the year."
A 'hard charger' is a driver who tries really hard and does well in races, even if they aren't winning the championship. They often make impressive moves during the race.
In motorsport, a 'hard charger' refers to a driver who consistently pushes hard and performs well, often making significant gains during a race or season, even if they are not a championship contender.
"I think at 44 years of age, there was some glimpses of that from one Fernando Alonso. But for me, it really has to be Carlos Sainz's performance."
Fernando Alonso is a famous race car driver from Spain who has won championships in Formula 1. He's known for being very skilled and competitive.
Fernando Alonso is a Spanish racing driver known for his success in Formula 1, including two World Championships. He is recognized for his skill and experience on the track.
"But for me, it really has to be Carlos Sainz's performance."
Carlos Sainz is another well-known race car driver from Spain who races in Formula 1. He drives for a team called Ferrari and is known for doing well in races.
Carlos Sainz is a Spanish Formula 1 driver currently competing for Scuderia Ferrari. He has gained recognition for his strong performances and consistency in recent seasons.
"...that is of course with their new engine that they're taking on as well..."
A new engine in racing means that a team has made changes or improvements to the part of the car that makes it go. This can help the car go faster and perform better in races.
In Formula 1, a new engine refers to an upgraded or entirely new power unit that teams develop to improve performance, efficiency, and reliability. Changes in engine design can significantly impact a team's competitiveness.
"...from the brand new Ford badged power plant for Red Bull..."
A power plant is basically the engine and related parts that make a car go. It's what provides the power needed to drive the vehicle.
In motorsport, a 'power plant' refers to the engine or powertrain system that provides the vehicle's propulsion. It encompasses the engine, transmission, and other components that generate power.
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A listen up production.
Welcome to the Motorsport Brief after an intense F1
title decider in Abu Dhabi.
Good day, everybody. Rusty here.
Matt Hickey from Codesports has been
an absolute champion this year.
He's been with us several times across the season
and he's kindly agreed to come back on
and wrap it all up today and we will cross to him
in Brisfagus in just a moment.
The feature app that we've been promising with Colin Bond.
Been talking about it for ages.
It is out now recorded just after Bathurst
with the Hall of Famer, whether you're into rally,
maybe you might like to reminisce about some of the legends
in the open wheeler scene, not just in Australia
but globally in that 70s period.
Or perhaps you've got a passion for touring cars
and some of the golden eras of touring car racing.
Well, you know what?
Bondy talks about all of that and more.
Two parts that you can find,
both of them are available in our library right now
for you to enjoy at Chalicia.
One of the first Bathurst calls that I ever did
when I first started out on this broadcasting journey
back in the mid 90s was on an AM radio station
with David Tapp and Colin, I've just realised
was the expert commentator back then.
So it's nice to talk about his career
in a bit more detail and celebrate a brand new book
that is out too called Full Tilt.
You might be able to grab yourself a copy
in time for Christmas.
Lando Norris is the new Formula One world champion
completing an unbelievable story,
an incredible turnaround in recent years for McLaren.
It's their first drivers world title
since Lewis Hamilton back in 2008
and they add to back to back constructors titles.
Now, there is so much to talk about
in the wake of this season.
It has been tailor made in many ways
for the next series of drive to survive for Netflix.
Do papaya rules work?
Will they continue into 2026?
Was Oscar Piestri treated fairly?
And how come an Australian senator ended up
discussing things in relation to this championship
that Zach Brown spoke about over the weekend there
in the Middle East?
Now, a two debrief all of it.
Hello, Matt, welcome.
Hey, Ross, yeah, you know when it hits Parliament,
it's big time stuff, isn't it?
The caravan.
Senator Matt Canavan, let's talk about that first.
So he felt that Oscar was a bit hard done by.
Zach's retort to that was, well,
it's a little bit uneducated in the, you know,
what really happens within the bounds of a team in Formula One.
What was your takeaway from all of that?
Look, I think the senator may have achieved
what he was out to do and that was to potentially grab
a few headlines and get his name in a newspaper or two.
So he can tick that box.
That is for certain.
Look, I mean, we can have the debate for eons.
I think there are elements that are certainly
from our standpoint from the outside looking in
that would seem that Oscar was a little hard done by.
That is, of course, with our green and gold colored glasses
on at the same time.
But in the end, Lando Norris is your world champion.
Yep, and I think you'll be a good champion too.
No matter what we think, you know, the patriotism
that you just talked about is a very natural thing,
a natural byproduct.
But, you know, this is the story of a kid
who has passionately pursued it through his karting career.
It wasn't all that long ago that he was across the ditch
in New Zealand, kind of starting his open-wheeler journey
and making a name for himself.
A successful stint across the ditch there over one summer.
And now he's been a part of the resurgence of this team.
He's had an amazing chapter with them.
He's been with them through their lows.
So no matter how we feel about Oscar,
we can talk about that in a moment.
I do feel like his star, the Lando star, if you will,
and there's many great things.
He rebounded this year from a difficult mental patch
and to come back as strong as he did,
I think shows what an athlete is.
And I think that longevity that you touched on
with McLaren is my favorite part of the story.
In modern day sport, not even just in F1,
but across many different sports out of motor racing,
we see that a lot of the time, whether it's individual players,
whether it be in a sport like basketball or drivers,
in this instance, are very happy to jump ship
if they think they can get a better result somewhere else.
Not often do you see that great story
of somebody sticking with the one team
and then eventually going on to win a World Championship.
We've seen it with Max Verstappen,
but now Lando Norris kind of joins that nine years
with McLaren, very impressive.
And I tell you what, I had a thought last night
as I was watching, he's come a long way
since I think it was 2021 in Russia
when he threw away that first win
when the rain started coming down
on that Russian circuit, made a decision
and had some interesting radio messages
with his team in that race as well.
And it got away from him.
And it thought that first win was,
he was never going to get it.
And now we come four years on in his World Champion.
So it is a very nice story,
regardless of where you land on it all.
Most definitely.
That was quite a sting that day for him at Sochi.
Does it sting for Oscar Piastri in the final analysis?
Some fans have said, look, there have been moments
where he'll probably navel gaze
and look at Azerbaijan, for example,
and stuff that he can tidy up.
I still feel like his tally for the year,
the way that he's continued to grow as a racer this year,
he will come back stronger from this.
The World title may have slipped from his grasp,
but I think you'll get another level of Oscar Piastri
in 2026.
Yeah, I think whenever you are less than one race win
in points away from a World title,
you can chalk that down as a pretty good year.
Now, of course, the disappointment will sting.
And it'll sting probably for a little while
as he makes his way back to Australia to catch some rays.
And probably we will see him at a test match or two.
We know his connection with the Australian cricket team.
It will sting for him,
but I think you have to chalk this down
as another really impressive year for Oscar.
I was really impressed again by how he spoke yesterday
after the race and, in fact, in the lead-up,
in the days leading up to it,
there was a lot of attempts to try and drum it up
a little bit, try and get an answer out of him
to say that he wasn't going to let Lando pass
if a situation like that presented itself.
But he was very diplomatic,
like we've seen all season, very level-headed.
And then even after the race,
he was asked, how are you feeling?
And he's like, I'm pretty good
because I knew I needed things to go my way.
It was going to take something pretty extraordinary
for me to win the title just based off this race.
So I really appreciated and liked that honesty from Oscar.
And I think, as we've said before on this podcast,
Rusty, I mean, this guy is still so young.
So this career is going to be massive.
And of course, next year we go into some reg changes.
We'll see what happens with McLaren there.
But a good 2025, no deny,
for Oscar Piestu, regardless of the fact
he missed out on that title,
he probably thinks he should have.
We'll come to the reg changes a little later
in this short cast.
I thought he was brilliant with Lando's parents
and Lando's group generally,
a very gracious conclusion to the championship
in the way that he went and spoke with him
after the race wrapped up.
And as you rightly pointed out,
I think he's still so young
and lots of great things to come in his career.
To papaya rules work, I said that in the introduction.
I feel like this vindicates things
from Andrea Stella's standpoint here.
It is very difficult to manage.
We've seen it happen before in other race teams.
It's very difficult to manage two very strong personalities.
If there's not a clear number one,
let's go Red Bull, Max Verstappen,
and then Yuki Snowder has struggled throughout the year.
So did Liam Lawson for that matter by comparison to Max.
So you automatically had that clear definition
between those guys.
Very different story at McLaren.
It's had its moments where it wasn't easy to manage.
They steadfastly stuck by that.
Can they continue to do that in your mind
or will it need some refinement?
I think it needs refinement.
When the championship comes down to the final race
and just two points,
now we go back and think about all the different moments
across the season, two points that,
yes, of course, it's a fantastic season
that McLaren has put together,
but when it only comes down to two points,
there is a little bit of an element of luck
in some instances that does come into it.
Now, if you're a professional racing team,
you never want luck to play a factor
in you winning a championship.
You want to dominate that thing from start to finish.
So I think it does need refinement.
What surprised me the most about the Papyrus,
I can understand it for the first half of the season
when as you put, you don't really have a number one driver.
So next season, Red Bull will head in
and Max Verstappen remains clearly the number one driver.
But when you head into a season
where both drivers come across as real championship threats,
normally what we've seen in the past is
we wait until about the midway part of the season
and if one has advantage over the other,
then if team order has come into place,
it is normally to favor the person who has done the work,
got the results to put themselves in front
in the championship.
Now that's the part of it that we didn't see,
which I think is what drew the eye
of a lot of people looking out from the outside,
looking in who had some issues with that.
Now has that come back to bite them?
They will say no because Lando Norris is world champion,
but when it only comes down to two points
and it's not your second driver
who's the one who's two points behind,
I dare say that's a little too close for comfort.
We're gonna take a break here
on this edition of the MotorSport Brief.
Matt, can you hang around with us?
We've got a couple more questions.
To come your way as we debrief
what has been a superb season in Formula One.
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You're listening to the Motorsport Brief
with Matt Hickey from Code Sports
in the hours after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,
the final round of the 2025 World Championship.
It wasn't the most exciting race, Matt.
It had its intensity.
There's no two ways about that.
I think many of us went into it thinking,
well, we're gonna get something a little crazy,
a little wild here.
That didn't necessarily eventuate,
but there were some different strategies
and a few things that kept us on our toes
into the early hours of the morning.
I think you've been a bit kind there, Rusty.
It was boring.
It was a boring motor race.
Let's be very frank.
With about 10 laps ago,
I was sitting in my hotel room up here in Brisbane going,
yeah, it could have been in bed about an hour ago,
but no, you love the sports.
So you hang around and watch it.
Of course you can, but yeah.
I mean, there needed to be an element of a safety car,
I think, to really throw something different into the mix.
We were kept on our toes.
Of course, Oscar got off to that fantastic start
on the hard tyre, which was a little bit of a surprise,
but it did seem on a race pace
that the hard tyre was the better choice out of the two.
His long strategy didn't really work out
the way that they had hoped and planned it to.
Charlotte Claire gave it a few moments
of nervousness for Lando Norris.
We saw, of course, Yuki Sonoda doing what we,
everyone expected him to do, yet still some commentators
and some people from McLaren were so shocked
by the fact that he was maybe gonna put a couple of moves
under braking to try and block Lando Norris.
I mean, of course he was going to.
I was a little bit surprised by how shocked
the reaction to was that, of course,
that was going to happen.
But you know, Lando does what he needs to do.
We don't get the team orders
that everyone had speculated about
what was going to happen if it happens.
Max rides off into the distance
and another race in the books.
Yeah, headline chasing across the weekend.
You talked before about trying to kind of crack them
in some respects.
Firstly, I think there was concern maybe
at News Limited or Code Sports End
about whether Oscar was being shut down
from conversations with the Australian press.
Kim Ilman, the photographer
who follows the sport and was based over there,
I think tried to hose that down
and said, you know, was that necessarily
as much as it was cracked up to be?
And then this morning, some stuff around, you know,
is Lando Superman?
It doesn't sort of change him and things like that.
Yeah, Julian Linden doing some fantastic reporting
on the ground over there.
He's done a great job on so many sports
across so many years, no doubt about that.
Yeah, I mean, he spoke to some insiders
that have been in the Cape for a very, very long time.
They certainly raised their eyebrows
at the treatment of Oscar as somebody
who was leading a world championship
and a genuine championship contender.
And, you know, I guess now post-race
that kind of all falls to the wayside a little bit
now that we have our champion
and all of a sudden everyone's eyes turned to 2026.
But yeah, comments after, I mean,
Oscar did such a fantastic job
and I think his answer, when you look at it,
it was quite an honest answer.
He was pressed about, you know,
what it means now moving forward
that Lando has the number one on the car
and whether that might change what happens
inside the four walls in McLaren
and, you know, as they're constantly going
about their business.
He said, look, he's still Lando Norris.
He hasn't overnight turned into Superman.
He's still Lando Norris.
Essentially pointing to the fact that for a big chunk
of the season, Oscar was beating him.
So it's not all of a sudden that this is a guy
who is absolutely going to dominate every single race
and they have to 100% get behind
without any chance of Oscar proving himself next year.
Let's go rapid fire to the finish of this podcast.
What did you make of Charlotte Claire,
the Lewis Hamilton in 2025
with Charlotte, you know, significantly upstaging him?
I thought Lewis and his drive back this morning was,
you know, still showed that he's got the fire
in the belly, but it's been a tough year
by comparison to his teammate, hasn't it?
Yeah, the back end of the year's been really, really tough
for Lewis and your right, Shale, has been very solid
across the entire season, but the last few races,
especially in qualifying, it's just that's where it's gone
wrong for Lewis Hamilton.
But I see that as an outlier.
I don't think you can take that as something consistent
moving forward because we have seen time and time again.
And as you mentioned Rusty in the race,
he still managed to secure a spot coming from essentially
the back of the grid.
So a great start for Shale Leclerc,
I think in terms of that partnership,
because of course, when somebody of the caliber
of Lewis Hamilton comes into town,
you're wanting to prove yourself immediately
and he has done that here.
But again, it's so hard moving into next season
because we just don't know what the pecking order
in terms of the teams will be
with all these regulation changes.
Tell me about the, let's call it a hard charger.
Motorsport often has little awards
that it gives out along those lines,
perhaps for someone who's not a champion,
but starred at different points during the year.
I think at 44 years of age,
there was some glimpses of that from one Fernando Alonso.
But for me, it really has to be Carlos Sainz's performance
at Williams this year, I think.
Yeah, fantastic coming into a new car, a new team.
And it was always going to be tough for Carlos
because he thought he should have still had that seat
at Ferrari, but he comes out and has a fantastic season.
In fact, Williams as a team has a really fantastic season,
two drivers that finish inside the top 10 of the standings.
I mean, you think three or four years ago where they were,
would we have thought they'd be in this position?
Probably not.
So that's a credit to that team
and how well they have been doing.
The other one I'd really love to point out
is Nico Holkenberg.
What a season he's had as well,
had a really fantastic year,
finishes 11th in the driver's standings,
a long, long way in front of his rookie teammate,
Gabriel Bottoletto.
So he's had a really, really good year
coming back into the sport
and I've been very impressed by Nico.
I think it was a tally of like 51 points in the end for him.
So it was a really good job that you've shown a light on.
Quickly, below par, and I mean, well below par,
Alpine seriously disappointing.
I mean, where they have ended up,
I think Gasly boxes hard with what he's got,
but Colopinto fundamentally fared no better
than Jack Doolin if we're brutally honest.
And I feel for Jack
because I think he deserved another shot at least
given that we've ended up in the same result.
Yeah, it's quite remarkable when you think about that change
and how everyone expected Franco Colopinto
to far outperform Jack Doolin.
And in the end, even though Doolin took part
in probably close to 20 races less,
they've both ended up on the same amount of points,
which for those keeping track at home was zero.
So, yeah, I think it would have been a very, very frustrating
season from the sidelines, at least from when he was
on the sidelines for Jack Doolin.
And it's quite remarkable to think that when all of the
business that went down with Oscar Piacere
at the start of his F1 career,
we were unsure about whether Alpine or McLaren
was the right choice for him moving forward.
And by crikey, him and his team have made that
correct choice when we look back at it.
And of course, Hansard is 20-20,
but there's vastly different teams at the moment.
Most definitely.
Okay, before we go, lots of unknowns in the 20-26 regulations.
So much hype and excitement around that
and what the cars will be like from a performance point of view.
All this talk of porpoising this year should disappear.
We, in theory, won't have that next season.
Do you feel like McLaren can maintain its grip at the moment
now that they're the constructors champions
now that they're going to get that boost of,
call it psychological strength from having won
their first driver's title in nearly 20 years?
It is a very big reg change, though, Matt, isn't it?
Yeah, it's massive.
And a moment to recognise the passing of the word porpoising.
I hope we never have to talk about porpoising ever again.
Bike, crikey, RIP, I tell you what, those first few races
when that came into play, porpoising,
I've never had to try and figure out how to spell that word
more in my entire life for us here.
And rest in peace with DRS as well, as far as we know it.
So there are massive changes.
I think Martin Brundle described them
as the biggest changes ever in the sport.
So when somebody like that is describing in that fashion
that you know it's going to be pretty massive,
it's very hard to predict who's going to be incredible
when it comes to these new regs.
Of course, we only have to cast our eyes far back as brawn
to know that one team can just shoot out of nowhere
and all of a sudden have it figured out.
And if you get it right for the first half of the season,
it's very hard if that gap is big for everyone else
to drag themselves back by the time
the end of the season comes around.
So we expect that big teams to be there or they're about.
I don't think McLaren will have the dominant start
that they had this year when they've got it all figured out,
but only time will tell.
And one really interesting thing that the Sky team touched on
last night in the coverage is whoever shows out
at the start of next year as a team,
get the feeling somebody by the name of Max Verstappen
might be just lurking around.
Whoever has that big advantage next year
if one team does stand out.
Because if Red Bull don't have the car
that is of course with their new engine
that they're taking on as well
to put themselves a long way in front of the grid,
I get the feeling Max Verstappen
may look elsewhere if there's a dominant powerhouse team.
It is going to be fascinating.
The summer period for us, the winter period for them
can't be over with soon enough February
and the brand new cars breaking cover.
And all of the stories that Matt is alluding to there
from the brand new Ford badged power plant for Red Bull
and what its performance will be like to,
you know, relative to the Mercedes,
can Ferrari have a bounce back of sorts
and Cadillac coming in as well
with a couple of very, very seasoned drivers?
Matt, thank you very much for what you've done
on the short cast during the season.
We can't wait to get you back on in 2026.
No, thank you Rusty,
been an absolute, absolute joy
to have someone like you to chat motor sport with
and I think less than 100 days to L. Albert Park.
So the countdown's on.
He's started the clock already.
I love it. I love the passion there too.
Before we go, while we're on the subject of passion today,
there has been in supercar's land
an outpouring of some terrible,
and I mean terrible stuff on social media.
After all the heat and energy around the final event
of the season in Adelaide there,
whether you are on team Red Bull,
whether you are on team Walkenshaw,
if you're following different podcasters
and reporters that have different views on things,
please, please just stop the awful stuff on social media.
Have a viewpoint for sure.
Wear your team's colours with pride.
We want that passion.
We want that energy always.
But if this kind of targeted, awful, bloody stuff keeps up,
what you are going to get is teams and drivers
that go to ground in one of the most accessible sports
anywhere on the planet in motor racing.
Please be kind.
That's all we ask, and that is it for today on The Shortgast.
Bye for now.
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